During the early 1960s, Dr. Robert Coles spent time in the American south studying the moral life of children. This was a time when schools were being racially integrated and when racial hatred … more

The Tanach contains a number of instances when Hashem calls to individuals and repeats their name within the same verse. For example, just before G-d commands Avraham not to offer Yitzchak upon the … more

It was over 40 years ago, but I remember the feelings very well. They were overwhelming, and were not dispelled easily. It was just after I had completed all of my course requirements and … more

The very last of the vessels of the Mishkan is finally described in chapter 30, as we learn of the kiyor, the washbasin the kohanim were to utilize before involving themselves in the service of the … more

Last year, I spent a week in Poland with Orayta, and had an experience I still cannot get out of my head. The wind was howling as we walked into the forest of Zvilitovska Gora, a suburb of Tarnow, … more

A jazz pianist complained to the club owner about the piano, but the owner did nothing. Angry and frustrated, the pianist announced that he would not show up for work until the piano was … more

It is a moment of the highest drama. In Ki Tisa, the Israelites, forty days after the greatest revelation in history, have made an idol. G-d threatens to destroy them. Moshe, exemplifying the … more

There are two well-known verses in Shemot that express the concept of Hashem’s dwelling among the Jewish people. The first instance appears in last week’s parasha, “And they … more

It is interesting to note the absence of Moshe from the parsha of Tetzaveh. For once, Moshe, the hero, the leader, the liberator, the lawgiver, is off-stage, and the only instance where the name … more

Until 1968, American’s celebrated February 12 as Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and February 22 as George Washington’s birthday. These commemorations were then replaced with … more